Mariana Ramirez broke historic ground in 2018 becoming the first female Mexican percussionist to ever perform on a Broadway show while subbing on Once on This Island. It led to sub on two more Broadway shows: Head Over Heels and Ain’t Too Proud, The Life and Times of the Temptations.
Currently, she is one of just two female Mexican drummer/percussionists performing on Broadway.
Off-Broadway shows include subbing Merrily We Roll Along and Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish, among many others. With that solid foundation, this Fall Mariana went on tour with the drums/percussion chair of Once on This Island Broadway National Tour.
Mariana is an NYC-based freelance percussionist who began her music studies at the National Conservatory of Mexico in Mexico City. She went on to receive her Bachelors of Music in Percussion at Rutgers University. In addition to Broadway, she has performed in Europe, Asia, and Mexico playing with Mexican Traditional Music bands, Symphonic Ensembles, Chamber Orchestras and Pop Bands.
She recently recorded the cast album of the new musical Platinum Girls, with music by Andrew Beall. This was the second album she recorded with Broadway Records.
This is an excerpt from the Broadway Drumming 101 Podcast. For more, subscribe to Broadway Drumming 101.
Clayton Craddock hosts the Broadway Drumming 101 Podcast and Newsletter. He has held the drum chair in several hit broadway and off-broadway musicals, including Tick, tick…BOOM!, Altar Boyz, Memphis The Musical, Lady Day At Emerson's Bar and Grill and Ain’t Too Proud.
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